Need Help Identifying Meade 8" Telescope

[GazerFace]

I recently acquired an old 8" Meade telescope (neighbors put it out on the curb when vacating a house).  

It seems to be missing a spider (actually there is a daddy long legs in residence, but you know what I mean), and a secondary mirror, and an eyepiece.    That being said, the primary mirror looks to be undamaged (if dirty).

I've built a newtonian reflector from scratch decades ago, but have been using a 4.5" Maksutov-Cassegrain (also Meade) for at least a decade and it has been perfect for my needs.

I would like to see if I can refurbish this older 8" - and am hoping to figure out the model number, so that I can identify all of the parts the unit had originally, in order to decide how best to replace/reproduce each.

Of note - I have access to 3d design software and several 3d printers, and may want to create a custom spider and/or scan the original, so that I can share the .stl file with the community at large (so that others can simply print the file, without having to do the design work).

If anyone can point me in the direction of the model number for this unit, I will do my best to keep this thread up to date with my progress on restoring this piece.

Thanks in advance.  I'm brand new here, but have been reading on this forum today and am very impressed with the wealth of combined knowledge and experience you all share.

A snapshot of this scope is below.

Best.

[Sunshine]

For some reason the image won't open, for me at least.

[Peter Drew]

Nor me.     

[AdeKing]

Nor me.

[michael8554]

Try a JPEG, that might work ?

Michael

[GazerFace]

Apologies all - I think the issue was the link was through gmail (instead of a hosted site.

I've uploaded the image directly here, let me know if that works

Thanks again!

[paul mc c]

Looks like an old Meade lx6,but unfortunately it's an SCT which needs a corrector plate on the front which holds the secondary mirror,probably impossible to get working as it should.

[Merlin66]

Hmmm,

Looks like an old LX5 SCT....corrector plate and secondary missing.

Difficult to find suitable replacements...

https://skywatch.brainiac.com/used/used_sct.pdf

Edited February 27, 2020 by Merlin66

[GazerFace]

Thanks to you both!  That's a lead, I will follow it up.

So if it is supposed to have a corrector plate, I'm assuming it's a Schmidt or a Schmidt-Cassegrain.  

You are correct, this would be very difficult to reproduce in my shop, I may need to find a replacement part if one exists.

A quick google search for the LX5 SCT (mine is an 8") yielded this picture, which seems to match up pretty well:


This also immediately answers my eyepiece questions - it goes on the back of the scope!   (My smaller meade has an eyepiece on the side).

I'll keep everyone posted.  Really appreciate your guidance, and the speed you all problem solve!

 

[GazerFace]

16 minutes ago, Merlin66 said:

Hmmm,

Looks like an old LX5 SCT....corrector plate and secondary missing.

Difficult to find suitable replacements...

https://skywatch.brainiac.com/used/used_sct.pdf

This link is very helpful, thanks so much!  Page 14 seems to be a match.

[Merlin66]

P28 shows the LX5.

 

[GazerFace]

Thanks Merlin66!  I see it.    

Hadn't gotten that far into the pdf.  You are right, that looks like a perfect match, especially the base.

Of note - I very much doubt I will try to restore the drive motor.  If I can get the optics working with a new plate and manually point the scope at planets and other easily trackable objects, that counts as a win for me!

Going to do some more research and also consult my local scope shop when I understand this unit better.

Thanks again - more to come as it develops...

[michael8554]

From your syntax I'd guess you're in the USA, so might have more than a snowflake's chance of getting a Corrector Plate.

The Corrector Plate has a complex profile, and some say it has to be a match to the rest of the optics.

That's why it was out on the pavement.

Michael

[Astrobits]

I might be wrong here but if IIRC Meade and Celestron had two different approaches to making their early SCT's. One would use a mix and match approach with their stock of corrector plates and mirrors until the image was acceptable to them, the other would stick with one item of each component and do some refiguring if needed to achieve their acceptability standard. I can't remember which company did which procedure. This would imply that a stock corrector plate for your scope might not be available or would not give satisfactory images and it might be necessary to send it to Meade for refurbishment   ( if that is possible with their current situation).

Nigel

[Peter Drew]

Unless you can think of an alternative use for the mount, for what it's cost you, probably best to put it back on the pavement.  Sorry!     😢

[GazerFace]

Thanks for this guidance!  You are all correct, it may well be impossible, however I feel it would be a pretty good waste of the existing mechanics and the primary mirror to call it a lost cause altogether (at least at this point).

I did manage to find a duplicate scope for sale online.  I'm going to research more and see if I can't find a corrector plate for this model.

It does have a Serial number on a small faceplate.  And Meade itself is not terribly far from where I live, I pass by that city at least once per month.

At any rate - I will keep you all posted, and will heed your guidance that this may be mission impossible.

Going to start with my local scope shop next, and see what they say about the possibility of ordering replacement parts, etc.  Then I can scour the web for matching scopes that might work for parts, etc., or contact Meade directly.

I'm still blessed to have my 4.5" Meade - so this is just a fun project in my view - if it does end up working that would be icing on an otherwise delicious cake...

Thanks again!